Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-29
WENT A FISHING.
MEMORIES CLUSTERING AROUND
DECORATION DAY.
Eloquent Tribute by Gov Foraker of
Ohio, and some very Pointed
Reflections.

know you have, because you are a patri,
otto people. | do not need, therefore. to
dwell upon the significance of that dav
But allow me to briefly call that picture
which IS presented by the loyal people OF
this country on every 30th day of MAY.
As the day approaches the warming sun
shine of spring time brings out the flow
ers. As they peep and bud, bloom and
blossom, the mothers and widows and or
phans note their coming, and watch with
anxious care for the brightest and most
beautiful. They have a special use Tor
them. They are thinking Of the dark and
| trying days Of lS6l-65. They are recall
ing idolized, darling BOYS, husbands and
| fathers, who volunteered and marched
away after the flag, never TO return again.
| hey remember, is though it was yester-
| day, the last fond embrace They again
feel the wrenching of the chord strings OF
the heart. They are once more blinded
with tears. They recall that strange,
wild delirium Of war They again hear
the rattle of the drum, the shrill, piercing
notes Of the fife. They once more see the
flag floating on the breeze. They hear
again the resembling tramp of marching
men. They see pale but determined faces
in line. Hank they are moving. They
are of. They fade out of sight forever.
Oh, God, can any language express the
utter loneliness and desola,ion of the moth
ers and wives who thus gave up their
| lost ones, Think of them rs they re-
turned to their homes, there to wait and
watch and pray until their darlings might
come again, Recall, if you can how the
! lonely wife with her hapless babe strug-
! gled to exc out a subsistence, and how each
day she tried with Spartan heroism to
cheer her inquiring children with stories
of what they would do when papa should
| come marching home again; and oh an
guish unspeakable when, at last, like a
! thunderbolt, the news comes that there has
been another great battle, and in the list
of the dead is found the name of that dcaI
one. Recall, if you can, the terrible
scenes, the great sacrifices, the mutterable
woe of that fearful time, and then you can
appreciate what is passing in the minds Of
the mothers, the widows and the orphans
and the surviving comrades, as they note
the budding and blooming of the bright
flowers Of spring time. They are thinking
again of the low grassy mound in the Gem
etery, where lie and sleep their last sleeI
the brave-hearted heroes who went down
in the prime Of their manhood.
At last the day comes. All business is
suspended. a holy hush falls upon the
whole land. The Grand Army boys gather
at their post headquarters. They brush
up their uniforms, polish their buttons, get
out the flag, and beneath its folds with
solemn step, and keeping time to the drum
beat, they march again Not, however
to battle. The drum is muffled. The FLAG
is draped. They are marching to the
sacred spots where their comrades lie
The mothers, the fathers, the widows, the
orphans, the whole community fall into
the procession, and all wend their way tc
the places of the dead Here are a scor,
of the most beautiful little maidens OF the
place They carry baskets of flowers. They
are laden with the brightest garlands that
can be woven. They look like very angels
from heaven. The cemetery is reached
Patriotic words are spoken, and every head
is barred and every heart is bowed. while
Almighty God is worshiped, and HIS di.
vine blessing invoked and received.
The little girls 90 forward The flowers
are scattered, and as they fall every eve is
wet with tears, just as see are the ewes OF
hundreds Of you now. Every soul seems
lifted up to a higher plane. 1t is i
Nearer my God to Thee time All who
have participated are better purer and
holier for having done So They have
performed sacred and ennobling duty
/ they have done what every patriotic
should do. 1t is almost impossible to be-
lieve that any intelligent, patriotic Ameri-
can citizen could allow the day to pass
without its due observance Look out
| through your mind and behold the picture
of the whole land so engaged. See with
YOUR mental vision this beautiful ceremo.
ny occurring in every cemetery from one
ocean to the other. Behold the widows
the orphans, the mothers, the veteran sur
vivors there assembled. See the rising
generations as they drink in the whole
some and inspiring lessons of patriotism.
Listen to the prayers for our country, the
dead, the living and the future generations
of America. Hear the thrilling songs that
are sung, and the words of patriotism that
are spoken, and as YOU hold all this picture
in your mind, remember that there is one
man who, more than all others, has been
benefited by the sacrifices that are being
honored; one man more than all Others
who should manifest appreciation for those
sacrifices, and be glad to engage in such
patriotic, appropriate and sacred ceremo-
MES; it is the President Of the United
States, who, bat for the deeds of such he.
roes, would not have had any Government
to be President of. Surely it must be a
sacred day with him. Surely his heart is
overliowing with emotion.
Surely he is somewhere, at some one Of
these cemeteries, engaged in these beauti-
full duties Look and find him. 1t will
be interesting to note how, with his whole
soul, he enjoys them. You look in
vain What, can'tyou see him anywhere
Look again. You must be mistaken
Look at Gettysburg, Arlington, Nashville
Chattanooga. He must certainly be at
some one of the National cemeteries, where
sleep by the thousands the men who made
it possible for him to be President. No
he is not there. You do look in vain. He
is no part of the picture. Is he at home
sick? No, he is never sick. Laughter ]
Where, then, can he be? He's gone
"a-ishin'." Cries of "Shame shame
shame ~
Come with me to the Adirondack
Mountains, and I'll show him to you
iiC4N = a NiiuNpou anu Il tipping bIOOA
that goes tumbling to the sea. Let us &C
up it and see what we can find 1t is ;
rough path over brush and stone, and al
the way through a wildwood, but we arc
making progress. We have come to {
bend in the stream. As we turn and &c
: up and ahead of Us we catch new pict
ure. Yonder is an old moss-covered log
that projects out over the stream. A man
is sitting on it. He is of curious form and
mold. He looks tired and is all doubled
up and tumbled in upon himself. He
would probably weigh 315 pounds, but he
looks as though he might be twice thai
heavy. We come nearer-we see he i.
dressed in isherman's attire He has or
corduroy suit, with metal buttons anC
big pockets, blue flannel shirt and ALI
gator boots. Laughter And now, a.
we draw nearer still, we discover who i
is. He is the President of the United
States. He is fishing for trout Laugh
ter and cries of Shame Blu
he doesn't look comfortable He seem
troubled. He looks like bad boy VIII
had run away from home, and was won
dering how he should face the music
when he goes back. Laughter W,
find he has had a long, bad day of it. H,